Indoor unit of air conditioner

ABSTRACT

An indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded type or ceiling-suspended type air conditioner with an improved flexibility of the design of a bottom panel is provided. An indoor unit includes a bottom panel, an inlet disposed to the bottom panel, a movable panel that closes the inlet during non-operation, and a driving unit. The driving unit moves or rotates the movable panel. During operation, the movable panel moves or rotates and recedes above a bottom surface of the bottom panel.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This U.S. National stage application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(a) to Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-114821, filed in Japanon Apr. 18, 2006, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an indoor unit of a ceiling-embeddedtype or ceiling-suspended type air conditioner in which an inlet of airis disposed at a bottom surface of the indoor unit.

2. Background Information

Typically, a ceiling-mounted indoor unit of an air conditioner isequipped with a bottom panel that constitutes a bottom surface of theindoor unit. The bottom panel is disposed with an inlet for sucking air,and this inlet has a filter attached thereto for removing dust (SeeJapanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-241243 (disclosed onSep. 8, 2005)).

Incidentally, the bottom panel is easily noticeable by people. For theuser, the design of the bottom panel is an important factor in selectinga product. However, for the manufacturers, the necessity lies indesigning the bottom panel such that the basic functions of an inlet anda filter are not impaired, and the design of the bottom panel is alwayssubjected to the limitation.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an indoorunit of a ceiling-embedded type or ceiling-suspended type airconditioner in which the flexibility of the design of a bottom panel isimproved compared to the conventional bottom panel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a first aspect of thepresent invention is an indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded type orceiling-suspended type air conditioner. The indoor unit includes abottom panel, an inlet, a movable panel, and a driving unit. The inletis disposed at the bottom panel. During non-operation, the inlet isclosed by the movable panel. The driving unit moves or rotates themovable panel. During operation, the movable panel moves or rotates andrecedes above a bottom surface of the bottom panel.

With this indoor unit, the movable panel closes the inlet duringnon-operation. Accordingly, the percentage of the planar portion withoutan opening increases and the flexibility of the design of the bottompanel improves.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a second aspect of thepresent invention is the indoor unit of an air conditioner according tothe first aspect of the present invention, further including a fan and afilter. The fan sucks air from the inlet, and the filter removes dust inair sucked from the inlet. The filter is connected to the movable panel,and moves to a predetermined mounting position of the filter along withthe movement of the movable panel.

With this indoor unit, the filter and the movable panel are assembled asone unit. Accordingly, the filter can be easily removed, and themaintainability of the filter improves.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a third aspect of thepresent invention is the indoor unit of an air conditioner according tothe first aspect of the present invention, wherein the movable panel isformed by a plurality of small-sized movable panels, and duringoperation, the plurality of small-sized movable panels move and recedeabove the bottom surface of the bottom panel and are arranged in apyramid shape.

With this indoor unit, the movable panel closes the inlet duringnon-operation. Accordingly, the percentage of the planar portion withoutan opening increases and the flexibility of the design of the bottompanel improves. In addition, since the arrangement pattern of themovable panel changes depending on an open state and a closed state ofthe inlet, the differentiation of the product can be induced by thevisual effect in which the design changes. Accordingly, the appeal ofthe product in the market is promoted.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a fourth aspect of thepresent invention is the indoor unit of an air conditioner according tothe first aspect of the present invention, wherein the movable panel isformed by at least a first movable panel and a second movable panel, andduring operation, the first movable panel and the second movable panelrotate and recede above the bottom surface of the bottom panel.

With this indoor unit, the movable panel closes the inlet duringnon-operation. Accordingly, the percentage of the planar portion withoutan opening increases and the flexibility of the design of the bottompanel improves. In addition, since the arrangement pattern of themovable panel changes depending on an open state and a closed state ofthe inlet, the differentiation of the product can be induced by thevisual effect in which the design changes. Accordingly, the appeal ofthe product in the market is promoted.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of thepresent invention is the indoor unit of an air conditioner according tothe first aspect of the present invention, further including an outletand a second movable panel. During non-operation, the inlet is closed bythe first movable panel, and also during non-operation, the outlet isclosed by the second movable panel. The driving unit moves or rotatesthe first movable panel and the second movable panel. During operation,the first movable panel moves or rotates and recedes above the bottomsurface of the bottom panel. Likewise, during operation, the secondmovable panel moves or rotates away from the outlet.

With this indoor unit, during non-operation, both the inlet and theoutlet are closed and thus the panel forms a flat surface without anopening. Accordingly, the percentage of the planar portion without anopening increases and the flexibility of the design of the bottom panelimproves. In addition, since the arrangement pattern of the movablepanel changes depending on an open state and a closed state of the inletand outlet, the differentiation of the product can be induced by thevisual effect in which the design changes. Accordingly, the appeal ofthe product in the market is promoted.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a sixth aspect of thepresent invention is the indoor unit of an air conditioner according tothe fifth aspect of the present invention, wherein, during operation,the second movable panel moves in a parallel manner toward the center ofthe bottom panel.

With this indoor unit, the second movable panel moves along the inletand is housed in the inlet, and thus there is no need to newly provide aspace for housing the second movable panel.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to a seventh aspect ofthe present invention is the indoor unit of an air conditioner accordingto any one of the first, third, fourth, and fifth aspects of the presentinvention, wherein the driving unit uses a motor as a driving source.

With this indoor unit, the driving unit achieves a small size and thuscan be easily housed in a casing. Accordingly, the flexibility of thelayout and the flexibility of the design improve.

An indoor unit of an air conditioner according to an eighth aspect ofthe present invention is the indoor unit of an air conditioner accordingto any one of the first, third, fourth, and fifth aspects of the presentinvention, wherein the bottom panel and the driving unit are provided asa set of assembly.

With this indoor unit, the bottom panel and the driving unit can bereplaced at the same time, and even after the installation is completed,the user can select a movable type or a fixed type as desired. Thus, animproved service can be provided.

With the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the first aspectof the present invention, the movable panel closes the inlet duringnon-operation. Accordingly, the percentage of the planar portion withoutan opening increases and the flexibility of the design of the bottompanel improves.

With the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the secondaspect of the present invention, the filter can be easily removed, andthe maintainability of the filter improves.

With the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the third,fourth, and fifth aspects of the present invention, the percentage ofthe planar portion without an opening increases and the flexibility ofthe design of the bottom panel improves. In addition, thedifferentiation of the product can be induced by the visual effect inwhich the design changes. Accordingly, the appeal of the product in themarket is promoted.

With the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the sixth aspectof the present invention, the second movable panel moves along the inletand is housed in the inlet. Thus, there is no need to newly provide aspace for housing the second movable panel.

With the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the seventhaspect of the present invention, the motor is used as a driving source.Thus, the driving unit achieves a small size and can be easily housed inthe casing.

With the indoor unit of an air conditioner according to the eighthaspect of the present invention, at least the bottom panel and thedriving unit are provided as a set of assembly, and the user can selecta movable type or a fixed type as desired even after the installation iscompleted. Thus, an improved service can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an indoor unit according to afirst embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operational block diagram of a movable panel of the sameindoor unit as above.

FIG. 3( a) is a cross sectional view of the indoor unit according to thefirst embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 3( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

FIG. 4( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to asecond embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 4( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

FIG. 5( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to athird embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 5( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

FIG. 6( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to afourth embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 6( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

FIG. 7( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to afifth embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 7( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

FIG. 8( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to asixth embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 8( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

FIG. 9( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to aseventh embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 9( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows an external perspective view of an indoor unit according toa first embodiment of the present invention. A casing 2 of an indoorunit 1 is constituted by a casing upper portion 3 and a casing lowerportion 4, and is embedded in a ceiling at the time of installation.Note that part of the casing lower portion 4 is exposed from theceiling, and this portion is referred to as a bottom panel 5. The bottompanel 5 is disposed with an inlet 6 into which air is sucked, and anoutlet 4 d out of which air is blown.

When the indoor unit 1 is not operated, a movable panel 7 completelycloses the inlet 6 and thus the inlet 6 is not exposed. FIG. 2 is anoperational block diagram of the movable panel 7. The movable panel 7can move into the casing 2 by a driving unit 10 installed in the casing2. A control unit 13 controls the driving unit 10 to move or rotate themovable panel 7. Positional information of the movable panel 7 isdetected by a position detecting unit 14 and transmitted to the controlunit 13.

FIG. 3( a) is a cross sectional view of the indoor unit according to thefirst embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 3( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation. As shown inFIG. 3, the casing upper portion 3 and the casing lower portion 4 areinterconnected at a junction area 3 a. The casing lower portion 4 isdisposed with an air passage 4 a, a flange 4 b, and an inner frame 4 c.The air passage 4 a serves as a passage when air is blown out, and isconnected to the outlet 4 d. When the casing 2 is embedded in theceiling, the flange 4 b comes to contact with the ceiling surface,thereby positioning the casing 2. Further, the flange 4 b closes a gapbetween a working hole disposed on the ceiling and the casing 2,preventing the working hole from being exposed from the ceiling surface.The inner frame 4 c forms a space in which the movable panel 7, a filter9 (described later), and the like are housed.

The filter 9 is housed inside of the casing 2 and removes dust in theair sucked in from the inlet 6. The filter 9 is formed by a filterelement 9 a and a filter frame 9 b. The filter element 9 a removes dustin the air, and the filter frame 9 b is supported at a predeterminedmounting position on the inner frame 4 c of the casing lower portion 4in a state in which the filter frame 9 b holds the filter element 9 a.In addition, according to need, the filter 9 is disposed with a hole 9 cthrough which passes a wire 10 b (described later).

The driving unit 10 is constituted by a motor 10 a, the wire 10 b, aplurality of pulleys 10 c, and a plurality of hooks 10 d, and moves themovable panel 7. The motor 10 a is housed in the space of the casinglower portion 4. The wire 10 b is a rope with the diameter ofapproximately 1 mm having an appropriate strength. One end thereof isconnected to a rotor of the motor 10 a, and the other end thereof isconnected to the movable panel 7 by the hooks 10 d. The wire 10 b issupported by the pulleys 10 c at a plurality of positions such that thedriving force of the motor 10 a is transmitted without attenuation.Positions to install the hooks 10 d can be arbitrarily set according tothe shape of the movable panel 7.

A fan 11 is arranged in the casing upper portion 3. The fan 11 is acentrifugal fan, and constituted by an impeller 11 a, a motor 11 b thatrotates the impeller 11 a, and a bellmouth 11 c that collects air suckedin. The fan 11 sucks air into the casing 2 from the inlet 6 and blowsout the air in the peripheral direction. The air blown out passesthrough the air passage 4 a and exits from the outlet 4 d.

A heat exchanger 12 is arranged so as to surround the periphery of thefan 11 in a state in which the heat exchanger 12 is held at a baseportion 3 b in the casing upper portion 3. An entrance of theaforementioned air passage 4 a is arranged adjacently to the heatexchanger 12.

When the operation of the indoor unit 1 of an air conditioner isstopped, the movable panel 7 completely closes the opening of the inlet6. Only the boundary of the movable panel 7 is visible on the bottompanel 5. When the indoor unit 1 is about to start operating, prior tothe start of operation, the motor 10 a rotates, the wire 10 b is woundup, and the movable panel 7 is pulled up into the casing lower portion4. Note that the control unit 13 (see FIG. 2) detects by the positiondetecting unit 14 (see FIG. 2) that the movable panel 7 has risen to apredetermined height, and stops the motor 10 a.

After the movable panel 7 is stopped, the operation of the fan 11 startsand air is sucked in from the inlet 6 that is open. After the dust isremoved from the air by the filter 9, the air is taken into the fan 11and blown out in the peripheral direction. The air blown out undergoesheat exchange by passing through the heat exchanger 12. The air thatpassed through the heat exchanger 12 passes through the air passage 4 aand is blown out from the outlet 4 d.

When the operation of the indoor unit 1 is stopped, the motor 10 arotates backward, the wire 10 b is loosened, the movable panel 7descends, thereby closing the inlet 6. Note that the control unit 13(see FIG. 2) detects by the position detecting unit 14 (see FIG. 2) thatthe movable panel 7 has reached the inlet 6, and stops the motor 10 a.

First Embodiment

The indoor unit 1 is the indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded type airconditioner, and is equipped with the bottom panel 5, the inlet 6, themovable panel 7, and the driving unit 10. The bottom panel 5 is exposedfrom the ceiling surface and disposed with the inlet 6. Duringnon-operation, the inlet 6 is closed by the movable panel 7. The drivingunit 10 moves or rotates the movable panel 7. During operation, themovable panel 7 moves and recedes above the bottom surface of the bottompanel 5.

With this indoor unit 1, the inlet 6 is closed during non-operation andforms a planar portion. Accordingly, the percentage of the planarportion without an opening increases and the flexibility of the designof the bottom panel 5 improves. In addition, the shape of the bottompanel 5 is hardly limited by the filter 9 and the flexibility of thedesign of the bottom panel 5 improves. Further, since the filter 9 islocated at a position that is not noticeable by people, contamination onthe filter 9 does not impair the external appearance of the bottom panel5. In addition, since the movable panel 7 moves without protruding fromthe bottom panel 5, the external appearance of the bottom panel 5 doesnot become impaired.

Second Embodiment

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention is described. Notethat the elements same as those in the first embodiment are denoted bythe same reference symbols, and the descriptions thereof are omitted.FIG. 4( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to thesecond embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 4( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

A bottom panel 25 is disposed with an inlet 26 into which air is sucked,and the outlet 4 d out of which air is blown. When an indoor unit 21 isnot operated, a movable panel 27 completely closes the inlet 26 and thusthe inlet 26 is not exposed.

The movable panel 27 and the filter 9 are interconnected by a connectingrod 27 a with a predetermined gap therebetween. The wire 10 b extendsvertically upwardly from the hooks 10 d attached to the filter 9 and isled to the motor 10 a via the plurality of pulleys 10 c.

Prior to the start of operation, the motor 10 a rotates, the wire 10 bis wound up, and the movable panel 27 is pulled up into the casing lowerportion 4. When the movable panel 27 and the filter 9 rise to apredetermined height, the filter frame 9 b of the filter 9 comes intocontact with a mounting surface 4 e at a filter mounting position. Atthis time, the control unit 13 detects by the position detecting unit 14that the movable panel 27 has risen to a predetermined height, and stopsthe motor 10 a.

When the operation of the indoor unit 21 is stopped, the motor 10 arotates backward, the wire 10 b is loosened, the movable panel 27 andthe filter 9 descend, and the inlet 26 is closed by the movable panel27. Note that the control unit 13 detects by the position detecting unit14 that the movable panel 27 has reached the inlet 26, and stops themotor 10 a.

With this indoor unit 21, the filter 9 is connected to the movable panel27, and the filter 9 moves to the predetermined mounting position of thefilter 9 along with the movement of the movable panel 27. With thisindoor unit 21, since the filter 9 and the movable panel 27 areassembled as one unit, the filter 9 can be easily removed and themaintainability of the filter 9 improves.

Third Embodiment

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention is described. Notethat the elements same as those in the first embodiment are denoted bythe same reference symbols, and the descriptions thereof are omitted.FIG. 5( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to thethird embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 5( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

A bottom panel 35 is disposed with an inlet 36 into which air is sucked,and the outlet 4 d out of which air is blown. When an indoor unit 31 isnot operated, a movable panel 37 completely closes the inlet 36 and thusthe inlet 36 is not exposed.

The movable panel 37 is formed by a plurality of plate-shapedsmall-sized movable panels 37 a-37 e. In addition, guides 39 allow thesmall-sized movable panels 37 a-37 e to move in the vertical directionbut not in the horizontal direction.

In FIG. 5( a), a right end of the small-sized movable panel 37 a and aleft end of the small-sized movable panel 37 b are held by the guide 39,and the small-sized movable panel 37 a can move in the verticaldirection with respect to the small-sized movable panel 37 b by adistance equal to the height of the guide 39.

A right end of the small-sized movable panel 37 b and a left end of thesmall-sized movable panel 37 c are held by the guide 39. The small-sizedmovable panel 37 b can move in the vertical direction with respect tothe small-sized movable panel 37 c by a distance equal to the height ofthe guide 39.

A right end of the small-sized movable panel 37 c and a left end of thesmall-sized movable panel 37 d are held by the guide 39. The small-sizedmovable panel 37 d can move in the vertical direction with respect tothe small-sized movable panel 37 c by a distance equal to the height ofthe guide 39.

A right end of the small-sized movable panel 37 d and a left end of thesmall-sized movable panel 37 e are held by the guide 39. The small-sizedmovable panel 37 e can move in the vertical direction with respect tothe small-sized movable panel 37 d by a distance equal to the height ofthe guide 39.

The wire 10 b extends vertically upwardly from the hooks 10 d attachedto the small-sized movable panels 37 a, 37 e, and is led to the motor 10a via the plurality of pulleys 10 c.

Prior to the start of operation, the motor 10 a rotates, the wire 10 bis wound up, and the small-sized movable panels 37 a, 37 e are pulled upinto the casing lower portion 4. When the small-sized movable panels 37a, 37 e rise by a distance equal to the height of the guide 39, thesmall-sized movable panels 37 b, 37 d start rising and rise by adistance equal to the height of the guide 39. At this time, the controlunit 13 detects by the position detecting unit 14 that the height towhich the small-sized movable panels 37 a, 37 e have risen becomes equalto the height of the two guides 39, and stops the motor 10 a.Consequently, the small-sized movable panels 37 a, 37 b, 37 d, and 37 eare arranged in a downward convex pyramid shape with the small-sizedmovable panel 37 c as the center of the shape, and the inlet 36 isopened.

When the operation of the indoor unit 31 is stopped, the motor 10 arotates backwards and the wire 10 b is loosened. Then, first, thesmall-sized movable panels 37 b, 37 d descend by a distance equal to theheight of the guide 39 and reach the inlet 36. Subsequently, thesmall-sized movable panels 37 a, 37 e further descend by a distanceequal to the height of the guide 39 and reach the inlet 36. At thistime, the control unit 13 detects by the position detecting unit 14 thatthe small-sized movable panels 37 a, 37 e have reached the inlet 36, andstops the motor 10 a. In this way, the inlet 36 is closed.

With this indoor unit 31, the movable panel 37 is formed by theplurality of the small-sized movable panels 37 a-37 e. The plurality ofthe small-sized movable panels 37 a-37 e are horizontally arranged onthe inlet 36, and thereby the inlet 36 is closed. During operation, thedriving unit 10 first raises the small-sized movable panels 37 a, 37 eat both ends, and subsequently raises the small-sized movable panels 37d, 37 e. Thereby, the small-sized movable panels 37 a-37 e are arrangedin a downward convex pyramid shape, and the inlet 36 opens.

With this indoor unit 31, the inlet 36 is closed during non-operationand forms a planar portion. Accordingly, the percentage of the planarportion without an opening increases and the flexibility of the designof the bottom panel 35 improves. In addition, since the arrangementpattern of the movable panel 37 changes depending on an open state and aclosed state of the inlet 36, the differentiation of the product can beinduced by the visual effect in which the design changes. Accordingly,the appeal of the product in the market is promoted. In addition, sincethe movable panel 37 moves without protruding from the bottom panel 35,the external appearance of the bottom panel 35 does not become impaired.

Fourth Embodiment

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention is described. Notethat the elements same as those in the first embodiment are denoted bythe same reference symbols, and the descriptions thereof are omitted.FIG. 6( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to thefourth embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 6( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

A bottom panel 45 is disposed with an inlet 46 into which air is sucked,and the outlet 4 d out of which air is blown. When an indoor unit 41 isnot operated, the movable panel 47 completely closes the inlet 46 andthus the inlet 46 is not exposed.

The movable panel 47 is formed by a plurality of plate-shapedsmall-sized movable panels 47 a-47 e. Guides 49 allow the small-sizedmovable panels 47 a-47 e to move in the vertical direction but not inthe horizontal direction.

The wire 10 b extends vertically upwardly from the hooks 10 d attachedto the small-sized movable panel 47 c, and is led to the motor 10 a viathe plurality of pulleys 10 c.

Prior to the start of operation, the motor 10 a rotates, the wire 10 bis wound up, and the small-sized movable panel 47 c is pulled up intothe casing lower portion 4. First, the small-sized movable panel 47 crises by a distance equal to the height of the guide 49, andsubsequently the small-sized movable panels 47 b, 47 d rise by adistance equal to the height of the guide 49. At this time, the heightto which the small-sized movable panel 47 c has risen is equal to theheight of the two guides 49. At this point, since the small-sizedmovable panels 47 a, 47 e have not risen yet, the motor 10 a furtherrotates and raises the small-sized movable panels 47 a, 47 e.

The control unit 13 detects by the position detecting unit 14 that thesmall-sized movable panel 47 c has risen to a predetermined height, andstops the motor 10 a. Consequently, the small-sized movable panels 47 a,47 b, 47 d, and 47 e are arranged in an upward convex pyramid shape withthe small-sized movable panel 47 c as the center, and the inlet 46 isopened.

When the operation of the indoor unit 41 is stopped, the motor 10 arotates backwards and the wire 10 b is loosened. Then, first, thesmall-sized movable panels 47 a, 47 e descend and reach the inlet 46.Subsequently, the small-sized movable panels 47 b, 47 d further descendby a distance equal to the height of the guide 49 and reach the inlet46. The small-sized movable panel 47 c further descends by a distanceequal to the height of the guide 49 and reaches the inlet 46. At thistime, the control unit 13 detects by the position detecting unit 14 thatthe small-sized movable panel 47 c has reached the inlet 46, and stopsthe motor 10 a. In this way, the inlet 46 is closed.

With this indoor unit 41, the movable panel 47 is formed by theplurality of small-sized movable panels 47 a-47 e. The plurality ofsmall-sized movable panels 47 a-47 e are horizontally arranged on theinlet 46, and thereby the inlet 46 is closed. During operation, thedriving unit 10 first raises the small-sized movable panel 47 c at thecenter of the movable panel 47, subsequently raises the small-sizedmovable panels 47 b, 47 d, and lastly raises the small-sized movablepanels 47 a, 47 e. Thereby, the small-sized movable panels 47 a-47 e arearranged in an upward convex pyramid shape, and the inlet 46 opens.

With this indoor unit 41, the inlet 46 is closed during non-operationand forms a planar portion. Accordingly, the percentage of the planarportion without an opening increases and the flexibility of the designof the bottom panel 45 improves. In addition, since the arrangementpattern of the movable panel 47 changes depending on an open state and aclosed state of the inlet 46, the differentiation of the product can beinduced by the visual effect in which the design changes. Accordingly,the appeal of the product in the market is promoted. In addition, sincethe movable panel 47 moves without protruding from the bottom panel 45,the external appearance of the bottom panel 45 does not become impaired.

Fifth Embodiment

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention is described. Notethat the elements same as those in the first embodiment are denoted bythe same reference symbols, and the descriptions thereof are omitted.FIG. 7( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to thefifth embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 7( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

A bottom panel 55 is disposed with an inlet 56 into which air is sucked,and the outlet 4 d out of which air is blown. When an indoor unit 51 isnot operated, a movable panel 57 completely closes the inlet 56 and thusthe inlet 56 is not exposed.

The movable panel 57 is formed by a first movable panel 58 and a secondmovable panel 59, and the first movable panel 58 and the second movablepanel 59 can rotate in a direction into the casing 2.

In FIG. 7( a), a left end of the first movable panel 58 is rotatablysupported at a left end of the inlet 56 by a hinge mechanism. Likewise,a right end of the second movable panel 59 is rotatably supported at aright end of the inlet 56 by a hinge mechanism. A right end of the firstmovable panel 58 and a left end of the second movable panel 59 aredisposed side by side on the inlet 56 and close the inlet 56.

The wire 10 b extends vertically upwardly from the hooks 10 d attachedto the free end side of the first movable panel 58 and the secondmovable panel 59, and is led to the motor 10 a via the plurality ofpulleys 10 c.

Prior to the start of operation, the motor 10 a rotates, the wire 10 bis wound up, and the free ends of the first movable panel 58 and thesecond movable panel 59 are pulled up into the casing lower portion 4.Consequently, the first movable panel 58 rotates counterclockwise abouta left end 58 a as an axis. Likewise, the second movable panel 59rotates clockwise about a right end 59 a as an axis.

The control unit 13 detects by the position detecting means unit 14 thatthe first movable panel 58 and the second movable panel 59 have rotatedapproximately 90 degrees, and stops the motor 10 a. Consequently, thefirst movable panel 58 and the second movable panel 59 move in a doubledoor opening manner and the inlet 56 is opened.

When the operation of the indoor unit 51 is stopped, the motor 10 arotates backwards and the wire 10 b is loosened. Then, the free ends ofthe first movable panel 58 and the second movable panel 59 descend inthe direction of the inlet 56. Consequently, the first movable panel 58rotates clockwise about the left end 58 a as an axis. Likewise, thesecond movable panel 59 rotates counterclockwise about the right end 59a as an axis.

The control unit 13 detects by the position detecting unit 14 that thefirst movable panel 58 and the second movable panel 59 have reached theinlet 56, and stops the motor 10 a. In this way, the inlet 56 is closed.

With this indoor unit 51, the movable panel 57 is formed by the firstmovable panel 58 and the second movable panel 59. The first movablepanel 58 and the second movable panel 59 are both arranged on the inlet56 in a freely rotatable manner. The first movable panel 58 and thesecond movable panel 59 are both horizontally arranged on the inlet 56,and thereby the inlet 56 is closed. The first movable panel 58 and thesecond movable panel 59 both rotate toward the inside of the casinglower portion 4, and thereby the inlet 56 is opened.

With this indoor unit 51, the inlet 56 is closed during non-operationand forms a planar portion. Accordingly, the percentage of the planarportion without an opening increases and the flexibility of the designof the bottom panel 55 improves. In addition, since the arrangementpattern of the movable panel 57 changes depending on an open state and aclosed state of the inlet 56, the differentiation of the product can beinduced by the visual effect in which the design changes. Accordingly,the appeal of the product in the market is promoted. In addition, sincethe first movable panel 58 and the second movable panel 59 move withoutprotruding from the bottom panel 55, the external appearance of thebottom panel 55 does not become impaired.

Sixth Embodiment

Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention is described. Notethat the elements same as those in the first embodiment are denoted bythe same reference symbols, and the descriptions thereof are omitted.FIG. 8( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to thesixth embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 8( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

A bottom panel 65 is disposed with an inlet 66 into which air is sucked,and the outlet 4 d out of which air is blown.

When an indoor unit 61 is not operated, a movable panel 67 completelycloses the inlet 66 and thus the inlet 66 is not exposed.

The movable panel 67 is formed by a first movable panel 68 and a secondmovable panel 69, and the first movable panel 68 and the second movablepanel 69 can rotate in a direction into the casing 2.

In FIG. 8( a), a right end 68 a of the first movable panel 68 and a leftend 69 a of the second movable panel 69 are rotatably supported on theinlet 66 by a hinge mechanism.

The wire 10 b extends upwardly from a left end 68 b of the first movablepanel 68 and a right end 69 b of the second movable panel 69, and is ledto the motor 10 a via the plurality of pulleys 10 c.

Prior to the start of operation, the motor 10 a rotates, the wire 10 bis wound up, and the left end 68 b of the first movable panel 68 and theright end 69 b of the second movable panel 69 are pulled up into thecasing lower portion 4. Consequently, the first movable panel 68 rotatesclockwise about the right end 68 a as an axis. Likewise, the secondmovable panel 69 rotates counterclockwise about the left end 69 a as anaxis.

The control unit 13 detects by the position detecting unit 14 that thefirst movable panel 68 and the second movable panel 69 have rotated 90degrees, and stops the motor 10 a. Consequently, the first movable panel68 and the second movable panel 69 move in a folding movement and theinlet 66 is opened.

When the operation of the indoor unit 61 is stopped, the motor 10 arotates backwards and the wire 10 b is loosened. The left end 68 b ofthe first movable panel 68 and the right end 69 b of the second movablepanel 69 descend in the direction of the inlet 66. Consequently, thefirst movable panel 68 rotates counterclockwise about the right end 68 aas an axis. Likewise, the second movable panel 69 rotates clockwiseabout the left end 69 a as an axis.

The control unit 13 detects by the position detecting unit 14 that theleft end 68 b of the first movable panel 68 and the right end 69 b ofthe second movable panel 69 have reached the inlet 66, and stops themotor 10 a. In this way, the inlet 66 is closed.

With this indoor unit 61, the movable panel 67 is formed by the firstmovable panel 68 and the second movable panel 69. The first movablepanel 68 and the second movable panel 69 are both arranged on the inlet66 in a freely rotatable manner. The first movable panel 68 and thesecond movable panel 69 are both horizontally arranged on the inlet 66,and thereby the inlet 66 is closed. The first movable panel 68 and thesecond movable panel 69 both rotate toward the inside of the casinglower portion 4, and thereby the inlet 66 is opened.

With this indoor unit 61, the inlet 66 is closed during non-operationand forms a planar portion. Accordingly, the percentage of the planarportion without an opening increases and the flexibility of the designof the bottom panel 65 improves. In addition, since the arrangementpattern of the movable panel 67 changes depending on an open state and aclosed state of the inlet 66, the differentiation of the product can beinduced by the visual effect in which the design changes. Accordingly,the appeal of the product in the market is promoted. In addition, sincethe first movable panel 68 and the second movable panel 69 move withoutprotruding from the bottom panel 65, the external appearance of thebottom panel 65 does not become impaired.

Seventh Embodiment

Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention is described. Notethat the elements same as those in the first embodiment are denoted bythe same reference symbols, and the descriptions thereof are omitted.FIG. 9( a) is a cross sectional view of an indoor unit according to theseventh embodiment during non-operation, and FIG. 9( b) is a crosssectional view of the same indoor unit during operation.

A bottom panel 75 is disposed with an inlet 76 into which air is sucked,and an outlet 78 out of which air is blown. When an indoor unit 71 isnot operated, a first movable panel 77 closes the inlet 76, and a secondmovable panel 79 closes the outlet 78. Thus, the inlet 76 and the outlet78 are not exposed from the bottom panel 75.

The first movable panel 77 moves in the vertical direction, therebyopening and closing the inlet 76. The second movable panel 79 moves inthe horizontal direction, thereby opening and closing the outlet 78.

The driving 10 includes the motor 10 a, the wire 10 b, the plurality ofpulleys 10 c, and the plurality of hooks 10 d, and moves the firstmovable panel 77.

Further, the driving unit 10 includes another motor 10 a, a ball screw10 e, and slide screws 10 f, 10 g, and moves the second movable panel79.

When the operation of the indoor unit 71 is stopped, the first movablepanel 77 closes the inlet 76, and the second movable panel 79 closes theoutlet 78. Therefore, only the peripheral boundaries of the firstmovable panel 77 and the second movable panel 79 are visible on thebottom panel 75.

When the indoor unit 71 is about to start operating, prior to the startof operation, the motor 10 a rotates, the wire 10 b is wound up, and thefirst movable panel 77 is pulled up into the casing lower portion 4. Inaddition, when the indoor unit 71 is about to start operating, prior tothe start of operation, the other motor 10 a rotates the ball screw 10 eand moves the slide screw 10 f and the slide screw 10 g in a slidingmanner toward the center of the bottom panel 75.

In the front view of FIG. 9( a), the slide screw 10 f is connected tothe second movable panel 79 on the left, and the second movable panel 79on the left moves to the right as the ball screw 10 e rotates. Inaddition, in the front view of FIG. 9( a), the slide screw 10 g isconnected to the second movable panel 79 on the right, and the secondmovable panel 79 on the right moves to the left as the ball screw 10 erotates. Note that the control unit 13 detects by the position detectingunit 14 that the first movable panel 77 has risen to a predeterminedheight, and stops the motor 10 a.

Further, the control unit 13 detects by the position detecting unit 14that the second movable panel 79 has moved to a predetermined position,and stops the other motor 10 a.

When the operation of the indoor unit 71 is stopped, the motor 10 arotates backwards, the wire 10 b is loosened, the first movable panel 77descends, thereby closing the inlet 76. Further, the other motor 10 arotates backward. In the front view of FIG. 9( a), as the ball screw 10e rotates backward, the second movable panel 79 on the left moves to theleft, and the second movable panel 79 on the right moves to the right,thereby closing the outlet 78.

Note that the control unit 13 detects by the position detecting unit 14that the first movable panel 77 has reached the inlet 76, and stops themotor 10 a. Further, the control unit 13 detects by the positiondetecting unit 14 that the second movable panel 79 has reached theoriginal position, and stops the other motor 10 a.

The indoor unit 71 is equipped with the casing 2 embedded in a ceilingand the bottom panel 75 exposed from a ceiling surface. The bottom panel75 is disposed with the inlet 76 into which air is sucked, and theoutlet 78 out of which air is blown. The driving unit 10 moves the firstmovable panel 77 in the vertical direction without causing the firstmovable panel 77 to protrude from the bottom panel 75, thereby openingand closing the inlet 76. Further, the driving unit 10 moves the secondmovable panel 79 in the horizontal direction without causing the secondmovable panel 79 to protrude from the bottom panel 75, thereby openingand closing the outlet 78. The filter 9 is housed in the casing 2, andis arranged away from the bottom panel 75.

With this indoor unit 71, the inlet 76 and the outlet 78 are closedduring non-operation and forms a planar portion. Accordingly, thepercentage of the planar portion without an opening increases and theflexibility of the design of the bottom panel 75 improves. In addition,since the first movable panel 77 and the second movable panel 79 movewithout protruding from the bottom panel 75, the external appearance ofthe bottom panel 75 does not become impaired. In addition, the shape ofthe bottom panel 75 is hardly limited by the filter 9 and theflexibility of the design of the bottom panel 75 improves. Further,since the filter 9 is located at a position that is not noticeable bypeople, contamination on the filter 9 does not impair the externalappearance of the bottom panel 75.

Other Embodiment

While the present invention has been described, the specificconfiguration is not limited to the above-described embodiments, andvarious changes and modifications can be made herein without departingfrom the scope of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiments, the driving unit 10 isconstituted by the motor 10 a, the wire 10 b, and the pulleys 10 c,however, the driving unit 10 may be constituted by a motor and a gear.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

As described above, the indoor unit of the present invention is usefulas an indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded type or ceiling-suspended typeair conditioner in which the flexibility of the design of a bottom panelthereof is desired to be improved.

1. An indoor unit of a ceiling-embedded air conditioner orceiling-suspended air conditioner comprising: a bottom panelconstituting a bottom surface; an inlet disposed on the bottom panel; amovable panel configured to close the inlet during non-operation; and adriving unit configured to move or rotate the movable panel, whereinduring operation, the movable panel moves or rotates and recedes abovethe bottom surface of the bottom panel.
 2. The indoor unit of an airconditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a fan configured tosuck air in through the inlet; and a filter configured to remove dustsucked in by the inlet, wherein the filter is connected to the movablepanel and moves therewith to a predetermined mounting position.
 3. Theindoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein themovable panel is formed by a plurality of smaller movable panels, andduring operation, the plurality of smaller movable panels move and arearranged in a pyramid shape above the bottom surface of the bottompanel.
 4. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 1,wherein the movable panel is formed by at least a first movable paneland a second movable panel, and during operation, the first movablepanel and the second movable panel rotate and open upwardly above thebottom surface of the bottom panel.
 5. The indoor unit of an airconditioner according to claim 1, further comprising: an outlet disposedin the bottom panel; and a second movable panel configured to close theoutlet during non-operation, wherein during operation the movable panelmoves or rotates and recedes above the bottom surface of the bottompanel, and the second movable panel moves or rotates away from theoutlet.
 6. The indoor unit of an air conditioner according to claim 5,wherein during operation, the second movable panel moves in a parallelmanner toward a center of the bottom panel.
 7. The indoor unit of an airconditioner according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit uses a motoras a driving source.
 8. The indoor unit of an air conditioner accordingto claim 1, wherein the bottom panel and the driving unit are providedas an assembly.